Postcode · Chatham

ME5 9RJ area guide

Who lives in ME5 9RJ, what homes sell for, and how it compares on crime, schools and transport.

Neighbourhood: Aylesford, Wouldham & Blue Bell Hill
Council: Tonbridge and Malling
Region: South East
Neighbourhood population: 1,256 (2024)

ME5 9RJChatham

At a glance

What ME5 9RJ is like

ME5 9RJ is a postcode in the Aylesford, Wouldham & Blue Bell Hill area of Tonbridge and Malling. Because census and crime data isn’t published for single postcodes, the figures here cover the surrounding neighbourhood of about 1,256 people. 81.5% of households own their home, 14.2% rent privately and 3.6% are in social housing. The largest age group is 25–29, and 70.9% of adults are in work. On deprivation, it sits near the middle of the scale for England. Higher-harm crime is less than half the England and Wales average. Homes in ME5 9 sold for a median of £355,000 over the year to August 2026.

Scores

How ME5 9RJ compares

Headline figures for ME5 9RJ, set against England as a whole.

AffluenceMore

7.0/ 10

Around the middle. Scored from 1 (most deprived in England) to 10 (least deprived).

CrimeMore

3/ 10

Lower than most: 11.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year vs 31.1 nationally.

House pricesMore

£355,000

Median over 163 sales in ME5 9, +2.9% on the year before.

TransportMore

0.2/ 10

Poor: 0 stations within a mile, 1 bus stop within 800m.

SchoolsMore

83%

Rated good or better across 12 inspected schools within 2.0 miles.

Household incomeMore

£63,806

Average annual income before tax, higher than 74% of neighbourhoods in England and Wales.

What stands out

Worth knowing before you invest

Where ME5 9RJ differs most from the national average.

01
A young populationPositive
23.6% of residents are aged 20 to 34 (the peak renting age), against 19.6% across England.
02
Low crimePositive
11.6 higher-harm crimes per 1,000 people a year, against 31.1 across England and Wales.
03
Few private renters
Only 14.2% of households rent privately, against 20.5% across England.
04
Mostly owner-occupied
81.5% of households own their home, against 61.3% across England.

Questions

ME5 9RJ FAQs

Is ME5 9RJ a good place to live?

Deprivation, crime, schools and transport at a glance.

It scores 7.0 out of 10 on the English Indices of Deprivation 2025, where 10 is the least deprived in England. Higher-harm crime runs at 11.6 per 1,000 people a year, band 3 of 10 nationally. 83% of the inspected schools nearby are rated good or better. Transport connectivity scores 0.2 out of 10 (poor).

How much does a house cost in ME5 9RJ?

The median sale price over the last year was £355,000.

Homes in ME5 9 sold for a median of £355,000 across 163 sales in the year to August 2026, +2.9% on the year before. Prices come from HM Land Registry’s record of every residential sale.

Is ME5 9RJ safe?

How recorded crime here compares with the national average.

Higher-harm crime (violence, robbery, burglary, vehicle crime and weapons offences) runs at 11.6 offences per 1,000 people a year around ME5 9RJ, less than half the 31.1 average across England and Wales, band 3 of 10.

Who lives in ME5 9RJ?

Age, home ownership and housing from the census.

The largest age group is 25–29, at 10.2% of residents. 81.5% of households own their home. The most common property type is terraced (58%).

Which council covers ME5 9RJ?

The local authority for ME5 9RJ is Tonbridge and Malling.

ME5 9RJ comes under Tonbridge and Malling in the South East. Council tax, planning applications and bin collections are handled there.

How well connected is ME5 9RJ?

Connectivity scores 0.2 out of 10.

There are 1 bus stop within 800m and 0 stations and tram stops within a mile, scoring 0.2 out of 10 (poor). The nearest station is Snodland Rail Station, 1.7 miles away.

Sources: Census 2021 (ONS); ONS mid-year population estimates; police recorded crime; the English, Welsh and Scottish indices of deprivation; ONS small area income estimates; ONS private rents; DfE, Welsh and Scottish school registers and Ofsted; DfT NaPTAN; ORR estimates of station usage; HM Land Registry Price Paid Data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right.

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